Results 15,401-15,420 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: In case Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh is confused, the only people who will affected by this change in 2012 are those who are new to the lone parent structures. Children over 12 years of age will be affected. In 2013 children over ten years of age will be affected, and in 2014 children over seven years of age will be affected. In regard to persons who were lone parents in April last year,...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: The table which we discussed on Friday shows that in 2014 this provision will impact on new entrants in terms of children aged seven years and on existing recipients in 2015 and 2016 at the earliest and, similarly, in relation to those who became lone parents during the past year. The number of children on which this will potentially impact - we do not know if the number will be this high -...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Services north of the Border are more developed and extensive. There has been a significant expansion and development here of child care and creche places. The critical issue here is that we want to open up fresh opportunities for lone parents. As stated in the ESRI's report published last week, despite our having a significant volume of cash payments to lone parents the outcomes in terms...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I never had that honour.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Senator Darragh O'Brien is labouring under a misconception. No child aged seven will be affected by this in either this year or next year. Some children will potentially be affected from 2014 onwards. I do not know if the Senator is intentionally seeking to suggest that from next week children of seven years of age will be affected-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: -----because they will not. A transition timetable has been set out. It provides a clear time span in which the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, in particular, and the Department of Social Protection will co-operate to improve and provide for enhanced child care, particularly preschool and after school care. The Senator asked about the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Currently, 61,000 places are being provided under the early childhood programme, 17,000 in community providers and 44,000 in private facilities. There is a large and significant amount of child care provision. It is not as much as we would like, but it would be wrong to characterise Ireland as a country without either the buildings for child care-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: This is important. To some extent, it might be argued that the Senator is suggesting it is impossible for the Irish Government and people to expand preschool and after-school child care places in a rational way over a number of years in parallel with the operation of this timetable. I recall when the early childhood year was announced. I strongly supported it at the time-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: -----because I considered it an excellent emphasis on services as opposed to simple cash payments. I have long been of that view and always stated it in the Dáil. That was a budget announcement. I remember, as others will, that there was absolutely no information forthcoming for a considerable period-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I remember it in great detail.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: There was no detailed information. In particular, many of the providers lobbied because they were unclear about it, which was fair enough because it was a big change. However, it was also difficult for the Government side to do that. The Senator is now asking us to make exact statements in great detail. Since January, my Department and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs have...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I commend the legislation to the House. I hear what Senators on all sides say and it is positive that there is general acceptance that we should expand child care, particularly at preschool level, and after-school care. A larger expansion is required in after-school care. The discussion is very positive. While I cannot accept the amendments, I accept the spirit in which they were tabled....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank all of the Senators who have contributed to the debate. I stress again that this is a work in progress. It is obvious that no one is satisfied with the outcomes in spending €1 billion on lone parents. There is general agreement that we could secure a better outcome from what is a very important investment by citizens and taxpayers. When Finland had an horrific banking crash a...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I do not propose to accept the amendment. The Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012 provides for the age limit of the youngest child for receipt of the one-parent family payment to be reduced gradually to 12 years of age in 2012, ten years in 2013 and seven years in 2014. This will apply to people who are new to the lone parents system after the enactment of the legislation. For other lone...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: Section 7 makes a technical adjustment to reflect current practice. It ensures that individuals on community schemes can continue to receive additional payments, such as payments for supplementary exceptional needs, once off grant payments relating to diet or rent and mortgage interest supplement. Senator Mooney asked about the review of CE schemes. Two reviews are currently under way. The...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I am shocked to hear that there was any Member who would have fitted that description.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: As stated earlier, there is a key role for social investment in the context of Ireland's recovery and its participation in the programme with the troika. While the latter is seeking consolidation - that is, savings - in certain areas, I acknowledge that, as Senators have just stated, there is a critical role to be played in respect of social investment and the delivery of social services....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: ----community employment schemes, many of which involve a social investment and create social employment, are extremely important in the context of the delivery of local services and in respect of providing individuals with the opportunity to contribute. To use President Obama's phrase, these schemes also allow people to keep themselves "job ready" in order that, as the economy recovers and...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: I thank all the Senators for their comments. Our discussion emphasises the breadth of the modern Department of Social Protection and the fact that unfortunately because of the crash, many people are relying on the Department for support. The critical point is if we can identify how we can continue to provide that support but that we would also make it the basis of the development of a...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Joan Burton: This section deals with the entitlement to mortgage interest supplement. As Senators have noted, the purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments on a house that is their sole place of residence. The supplement assists with the interest portion of the mortgage...